ANAHEIM -- With a bandage tightly wrapped on his right middle finger, Josh Beckett threw a bullpen session on Saturday at Angel Stadium.

It was the first time the 25-year-old Marlins right-hander has thrown since going on the disabled list on Friday with a blister. Throwing fastballs, Beckett is keeping his arm strength up as he waits out the eighth DL stint of his Major League career.

 

There are some encouraging signs that Beckett's latest problem won't be as serious as in the past. The small circular blister is on the tip of his finger, on his callous, which is in tact.

 

Still, Beckett is being cautious in terms of when he will return.

 

"I'm not going on the DL three times with a blister," he said.

 

Beckett went through that ordeal last year, spending three DL stints, with two blister-related. Six of his eight total DL trips have been the result of blisters to the same finger.

 

"I'm hoping one of these days I'll be like Al [Leiter] and Nolan [Ryan], where I can look back and say this is a thing of the past," Beckett said.

 

The blister popped in the sixth inning last Tuesday against the Cubs in Chicago. It came on a fastball he threw on his 80th pitch. The ball got away and nearly hit Jeromy Burnitz around the knees. Since the incident happened one batter after Derrek Lee homered, Beckett was warned by umpire Bruce Froemming.

 

Beckett threw one more pitch, a changeup, before leaving the game.

 

He is continuing his treatment with various ointments, including Stan's Blister cream, which is commonly used by rodeo riders.

 

Beckett said he will throw in the bullpen when he feels confident about how the finger will respond.

I wish him a fast recovery.

 

Thoughts?

all I know is that I'm growing tired of Josh's blisters. He is supposed to be our ace, the anchor of our pitching staff- and he misses too many starts.

Hopefully as he gets older his fingers will stop developing blisters. I remember reading somewhere that another very talented pitcher had blister troubles in his first few seasons, and then went on to dominate the sport of baseball after he aged a bit.

Hey I'm sure Josh is tiring of them too.

all I know is that I'm growing tired of Josh's blisters. He is supposed to be our ace, the anchor of our pitching staff- and he misses too many starts.

Hopefully as he gets older his fingers will stop developing blisters. I remember reading somewhere that another very talented pitcher had blister troubles in his first few seasons, and then went on to dominate the sport of baseball after he aged a bit.

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That someone would be the average Nolan Ryan. :mischief

 

 

 

Al Leiter also had blisters as a young pitcher and hes had a successful career as well.